These functions take as arguments any numeric datatype or any nonnumeric datatype that can be implicitly converted to a numeric datatype. Oracle determines the argument with the highest numeric precedence, implicitly converts the remaining arguments to that datatype, and returns that datatype.

Oracle applies the function to the set of (expr1, expr2) pairs after eliminating all pairs for which either expr1 or expr2 is null. Oracle computes all the regression functions simultaneously during a single pass through the data.

expr1 is interpreted as a value of the dependent variable (a y value), and expr2 is interpreted as a value of the independent variable (an x value).

REGR_SLOPE returns the slope of the line. The return value is a numeric datatype and can be null. After the elimination of null (expr1, expr2) pairs, it makes the following computation:

COVAR_POP(expr1, expr2) / VAR_POP(expr2)

REGR_INTERCEPT returns the y-intercept of the regression line. The return value is a numeric datatype and can be null. After the elimination of null (expr1, expr2) pairs, it makes the following computation:

AVG(expr1) - REGR_SLOPE(expr1, expr2) * AVG(expr2)

REGR_COUNT returns an integer that is the number of non-null number pairs used to fit the regression line.

REGR_R2 returns the coefficient of determination (also called R-squared or goodness of fit) for the regression. The return value is a numeric datatype and can be null. VAR_POP(expr1) and VAR_POP(expr2) are evaluated after the elimination of null pairs. The return values are:

The following example determines the cumulative slope and cumulative intercept of the regression line for the amount of and quantity of sales for two products (270 and 260) for weekend transactions (day_number_in_week = 6 or 7) during the last three weeks (fiscal_week_number of 50, 51, or 52) of 1998:

SELECT t.fiscal_month_number "Month", t.day_number_in_month "Day",
REGR_SLOPE(s.amount_sold, s.quantity_sold)
OVER (ORDER BY t.fiscal_month_desc, t.day_number_in_month) AS CUM_SLOPE,
REGR_INTERCEPT(s.amount_sold, s.quantity_sold)
OVER (ORDER BY t.fiscal_month_desc, t.day_number_in_month) AS CUM_ICPT
FROM sales s, times t
WHERE s.time_id = t.time_id
AND s.prod_id IN (270, 260)
AND t.fiscal_year=1998
AND t.fiscal_week_number IN (50, 51, 52)
AND t.day_number_in_week IN (6,7)
ORDER BY t.fiscal_month_desc, t.day_number_in_month;